Yes, Being a Student is a Job

The average college student spends 36 to 45 hours per week on classes and schoolwork. For the college students who take more classes, that workload increases to an average of 45 to 60 hours per week, if not more.

Basically, the time college students end up spending on school is about the same time commitment as a full-time job.

How is this possible, you ask? Let’s break it down.

College classes are worth "units." Most college classes are 3 to 4 units each. For each unit a college student takes, that student can expect to spend 3 hours a week on that class, with that time divided between class lectures (or labs, if applicable) and homework (i.e. essays, discussion posts, research, projects, and more).

For example: for a class worth 3 units, a student can expect 9 hours of work per week, including the time spent receiving lectures.

To be a full-time student, a college student has to take a minimum of 12 units. Most students take 12 to 15 units per semester, resulting in the 36-45 hours per week workload I mentioned earlier. Students who take more classes take more units, so have a greater workload (one that can include anywhere from 45 to even 60 hours a week).

And that’s before a college student takes on a job that actually pays. Which, for a college student, is often a part-time job (or multiple part-time jobs) with hourly pay that is maybe a little more than minimum wage.

Let’s face it, being a college student is an occupation. Being a student is a job. For most people, it's a job that must be undertaken for the sake of getting the job (and the pay) they want in order to live the lifestyle they hope for.

That’s a lot of pressure.

Some might say, “C’s get degrees, so don’t worry so much.” Well, yes, C’s do get degrees… but they won’t be as helpful as A’s when it comes to applying to post-graduate education programs.

For the undergraduate students who eventually want a master’s degree (and especially those who want a doctorate), having the best grades possible is important. The better your grades are, the better your chances of getting into your favorite graduate program. And for some career paths, post-graduate education is essential. It’s hard to be a doctor without a doctorate, you know?

And beyond the academic rigor of being a student is the financial strain. It would be amazing to be paid to continue our studies for the benefit of society, but that’s unfortunately not the case. Instead, most of the students attending college in the United States fork over tens of thousands of dollars per year to get their degree.

On average, in-state tuition at a public college is $25,290 while out-of-state tuition is $40,940. Per year. And the annual tuition for private colleges is even more, coming in at an average of $50,900. And let’s not forget that it's becoming more and more common for students to take 5 to 6 years to graduate with a bachelor’s degree.

So students attending schools in the United States end up paying over $100,000 if they’re lucky, often relying on student loans to obtain the degree they need in order to have the job they want. Oh, and there’s no guarantee that they’ll find a well-paying job straight out of college.

Notice how I’m specifically discussing students attending schools in the United States. Other countries have figured out how to make higher education accessible. For example, European Union students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in the Netherlands pay around 1,800-4,000 euros in tuition per year. Many bachelor’s programs are designed so students can graduate in three years. In U.S. dollars, these students end up paying anywhere from $6,400 to $19,000 in total for their degree. That’s a far cry from 100K.

So, America? Take a hint.

So we’ve covered how being a college student is essentially a job. It requires the same time commitment as a full-time job and is essential to professional advancement (and, of course, to accomplishing dreams). We’ve also explored how U.S. students sacrifice a lot (financially, at least) to maintain this job and get to wherever they want to go.

Being a student is obviously important to students themselves. But why is this job important to society?

As students, we are the future. We are the future of our society, our country, and the world. One day, the world will be in our hands--it will be our responsibility--and our choices will determine what it looks like and what it will become.

As students, we are preparing to take on other essential roles. We are training and gaining the skills to become the next doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, artists, politicians, explorers, entertainers, researchers, entrepreneurs, inventors, leaders, and legacy-makers. More importantly, we are learning how to succeed, do well, and do good in all these fields so that the world will be in capable hands.

And as students, we are learning how to think critically. Thinking critically starts with questioning everything. Questioning implicit and explicit biases and blindly accepted truths, questioning whether things are the way they should be. Thinking critically means learning how to think for yourself, to see both virtues and flaws, to recognize the truth, and to develop your own ideas. As students, we learn to think critically so we can discover and nurture our own identities. We learn to think critically so we can see what is wrong in the world and figure out how to fix it.

As a student myself, learning how to think critically has been one of my favorite parts of college. Since studying theories on critical thinking, society, and the human condition--and making the choice to do what I love--I have learned more about who I am as an individual. I have empowered myself to pursue my passions. I have developed my own ideas and opinions and learned to apply them (and share them through writing). I have found the courage to be myself unapologetically and I have learned to appreciate the small joys in life.

Just as education is the path to a fuller life, students are the key to a better world.